Curonian Spit of the Kaliningrad region: recreation, attractions, excursions, hotels, how to get there, prices. Traveling in Russia: Curonian Spit

How to get to the Curonian Spit. This post contains all possible options. I mean the Lithuanian part, because it is much easier to get to the Russian part, and there is much more information on the network in this regard.

Option 1. Allegedly the cheapest. By train to Kaliningrad, then by bus.

Train number 147 runs from Moscow to Kaliningrad. A reserved seat ticket costs 2155 rubles. compartment 3800. From St. Petersburg No. 79. A reserved seat ticket costs 2283 rubles one way. It is better to buy these tickets 45 days in advance, because they are in short supply. These trains travel for about a day. Unfortunately, the only bus to the spit leaves from the bus station in Kaliningrad at 16.30, and trains from Moscow and St. Petersburg arrive later: at 19.40 and 16.50, respectively. From Moscow there is another, branded, train number 29, it arrives in Kaliningrad around noon, but a reserved seat ticket costs 3,175 rubles for it.

For those who are very mobile, there is also a bus to the village of Morskoye, located just 10 km away. from Nida. It leaves at 17.50 from the Kaliningrad bus station, and you can catch it at least from the St. Petersburg train. But it is forbidden to cross the border on foot.

My recommendation: if you come to Kaliningrad by train, get to Zelenogradsk (last bus at 21.30). Spend the night there, take a walk for a day, and then take the same Kaliningrad-Nida bus, in Zelenogradsk it is at 17.30. The road will cost 400 rubles. An alternative is a taxi from Kaliningrad to Nida, the cost is 2500-3000 rubles.

Option 2. By car. 1600 rubles for " green card"plus 220 liters of gasoline (from an average calculation of 9 liters per hundred). For simplicity, let's calculate 60 liters at 1.34 euros (prices in the Baltic states) and 160 liters at 33 rubles. The total is 10600 rubles. If you are not a fan of sleepless driving on bad roads, then on the way to Kosa it is better to spend the night. On the way from St. Petersburg, the best place for an overnight stay in terms of price-quality-location ratio is hotel Jaunsetas in Latvian city Aluksne near Russian border. It is checked up on own experience.

If you are traveling from Moscow, it is reasonable to spend the night in the city of Rezekne. You can compare prices for hotels in Rezekne by clicking on this link

Option 3. The fastest and most comfortable. But dear.

Fly to Vilnius by plane, and then rent a car. A ticket to Vilnius from Moscow with a convenient connection in Minsk costs about 8 thousand rubles. Renting a car in Vilnius will cost about 1,000 rubles per day. We think we are going for a week. In total, for two for a week, the road with the car turns out to be 23 thousand rubles. I agree, not budget. But very easy and pleasant. From Vilnius to Klaipeda and to Kosa, it takes 3 or 4 hours to drive along an excellent highway.

Option 4. Bus

On the Ecolines website, you can buy a ticket from Moscow to Klaipeda for 2400 rubles.

On the way the bus 19 hours. you need to make a transfer in the city of Maryanpol. From Klaipeda to the spit and along the spit local bus. Almost a day on the bus is an amateur, but cheap.

We will tell you how to get to the Curonian Spit from Kaliningrad and Zelenogradsk, in hot pursuit, namely, based on the 2019 trip.

national park"Curonian Spit" is located 90 km from - this city comes most of tourists and from there goes on excursions. Approximately at the same distance is the resort Svetlogorsk, and a little closer, 50 km from the spit, the resort town of Zelenogradsk. You can get to the Curonian Spit from any of these settlements: buses run, many excursions are organized, entry is also open for personal vehicles - even to the Lithuanian Nida and Klaipeda.

Looking ahead, the most convenient way to see was and still is excursions. Group, individual - any.

It makes sense to go by car if you are interested in the villages - Lesnoy, Rybachy, Morskoye - or local beaches. You can also visit the museum, the Dancing Forest and viewing platforms, but only if you first study the routes, and also fill in the places of equipped parking lots in the navigator. Otherwise, either spend time sorting out the place, or get a fine for parking in an unspecified place.

How to get from Kaliningrad

1. By bus Kaliningrad - Curonian Spit

The most convenient flight from Kaliningrad to the Curonian Spit №593 - Kaliningrad - Marine. Since 2017 in summer time(from April to October) it runs four times a day from the bus station: 05-30, 09-35, 12-35, 17-50. Travel time is about two hours. This, of course, made life easier for travelers, because before that the only way to get there was a route with a change in Zelenogradsk.

Route of flight No. 593:

• the first stop is the Northern bus station;
• second stop - bus station Zelenogradsk;
• third stop - Lesnoy settlement;
• fourth stop - p. Rybachy;
• end station - p. Morskoy.

IN winter time the bus from Kaliningrad leaves only twice a day: at 05-30 and at 17-50. It is easier to check the return flight schedule at the stop where you get off at curonian spit- rarely any of the travelers goes to the Morskoy itself.

There is another flight that can take you to the Curonian Spit - Kaliningrad - Klaipeda. It follows through the villages of Lesnoy and Rybachy, as well as the Lithuanian Nida. The only negative: departure once a day - at 16-30 (from the bus station).

2. Organized excursions to the Curonian Spit

Taking into account the impressive distances of the Curonian Spit (almost 50 km long), the most convenient way to visit the Efa Height, the Fringilla ornithological station and the Dancing Forest in one day is excursions.

• Group tours are best organized by the local travel agency "Royal Castle", whose office is located in. Curonian Spit - the most popular destination, therefore, as a rule, buses of 40-45 people are recruited. The program is rich, there is little free time, but the cost is affordable for everyone - from 1300 rubles. for a person.
• Individual excursions are organized locals who know a lot about their native places, know how to tell interesting stories and can take you by car. The advantages of such routes are mobility and absolutely individual approach(you'll see whatever you want, at whatever pace you're comfortable with). The downside is the price (from 5500 rubles per tour; the number of participants is no more than the number of seats in the car).

Search individual tours comfortable on Tripster- there is a whole page dedicated to it, currently there are 12 offers to choose from.

Be sure to read the reviews: some guides have more than 170 of them, but this does not always mean that the tour is better - it just appeared much earlier than others. And ask the guides questions: the service allows you to do this before paying.

3. Travel to the Curonian Spit by car

On Russian territory(this is about 45 km in length) there are two cordons: at the entrance from Zelenogradsk in the area of ​​​​the village of Lesnoy and not far from the border with Lithuania.

Checkpoint on the Curonian Spit (Lesnoy settlement)

Bus stop near the checkpoint in Lesnoy

Entrance to the Curonian Spit by car is paid. At the checkpoint, 300 rubles are charged. per car (driver's fare included) + 150 rubles each. for each passenger. Preferential categories: pensioners, children under 12 and residents of coastal villages.

And remember: no matter which side you enter the territory national park, at the exit you will need to show a payment coupon - be sure to keep it.

How to get from Zelenogradsk

From Zelenogradsk (and at the same time Svetlogorsk) you can get to the Curonian Spit by bus number 596 along the route Svetlogorsk - Zelenogradsk - Marine from the bus station. It departs four times a day: 07-15, 09-45, 12-30, 16-00 (the time is indicated from Zelenogradsk). Travel time is just under an hour.

The main purpose of our trip to the Kaliningrad region for the June holidays was to visit a unique nature reserve National Park Curonian Spit.

The Curonian Spit is a narrow strip of land about a hundred kilometers long, separating the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea. It starts from the city of Zelenogradsk Kaliningrad region and stretches to the city of Klaipeda in Lithuania.

In the territory Russian Federation only 49 km of the Curonian Spit is located, the rest can be viewed with a Schengen visa. The huge sand dunes here are among the highest in the world and reach up to 60 meters in height. Also in X-XI centuries Viking settlements existed on the territory of the Curonian Spit, as evidenced by the numerous finds of archaeologists. Later, this territory came under the control of the Teutonic Order. Several castles were built here. But with the decline of the order, the forests that existed here began to be cut down. Grazing in the remaining areas also led to the disappearance of vegetation, and, consequently, to the spread of sand to nearby lands.

In order to restore the ecosystem and stop the desertification of this area, various pines and other vegetation were planted throughout the Curonian Spit, which restrain the movement of sand inland. On this moment here, in addition to huge dunes, you can walk through unique forests that have become a habitat for many species of animals. The Curonian Spit is also an important point on the route of migratory birds, here they manage to recuperate during long flight To Southern countries. That is why the Fringilla Ornithological Station was established in the park at the beginning of the last century to monitor migration processes migratory birds. In 2000, the unique Curonian Spit Natural Park was included in the list world heritage UNESCO.

What to see on the Curonian Spit, routes

For numerous tourists, a number of routes have been developed to explore this unique natural complex. Here is a list of recommended walks:

1) "Royal Forest"- this route, about three kilometers long, runs from the city of Zelenogradsk to the village of Lesnoye. This section of the spit is characterized by age-old plantings of various plants. The forest on this route has never been cut down, since the hunting royal reserve and forestry were located here. There are also water meadows where falcons were bred for hunting.

2) At 23 km of the Curonian Spit there is the already mentioned ornithological station, which is included in the second route of the walk. Highly qualified guides will tell you about the process of ringing birds, about their habits and lifestyle.

3) The route starts at 32 km of the Curonian Spit "Muller Height" (visit review). Its length is about 3.5 kilometers. Presumably this is where the formation began. sand spit. Tourists are told about the relationship between the animal and flora, about the processes of dune afforestation. Here, on one of the dunes, there is an observation deck at a height of 44 meters, which offers stunning views of the Baltic Sea, the village of Rybachy and Lake Chaika.

4) Near the 37 km sandy spit there is a unique route "Dancing Forest"(visit review). The tourist path along the perimeter goes around unique pine trees, the trunks of which are, as it were, twisted into intricate knots. They say that in this place there is a special energy field, thanks to which the tree trunks have acquired such a shape. There is also a legend that once she played the harp here very beautiful girl, and the trees began to dance to the beat of her music. When she stopped her song, the trunks froze in the movements of the dance.

5) At 42 km of the spit, near the village of Morskoye, there is a height "Efa"(visit review). The route of this walk stretches for 2.8 km. Here is the highest dune of the spit, more than 60 meters high. This dune got its name in honor of the forester who worked in this area and studied the processes that contribute to the strengthening of the sands.

6) Near the 47th km of the Curonian Spit there is a route "Swan Lake" The length of this walk is about 4 kilometers. Here you can get acquainted with the moving dunes, as well as admire the panorama of the surroundings and the water surface of Lake Swan.

In order to see all the sights, it is better, of course, to settle in one of the villages of the Curonian Spit. The narrowest point of the sand spit can be seen near the village of Lesnoye, near the village of Rybachy there is the famous "Dancing Forest" with curved trees, the Ornithological Station and "Muller's Height", and the most picturesque is the village of Morskoye, next to which is the highest dune - "Height Efa". And although not everyone can swim in the cold sea, walks along sea ​​coast and sightseeing of the most beautiful natural sites will make any vacation rich.

We only managed to get here for one day. At the hotel reception, we tried to find out how to get to the Curonian Spit. We were told that the most convenient way get there by taxi. Since it is quite inexpensive in the Kaliningrad region, we called a car and hit the road. The entry of cars into the territory of the reserve is paid. The one-way trip cost us about 2000 rubles. We landed somewhere in the middle between the village of Rybachy and Morskoye near a small path leading to the sea.

The weather was just wonderful, the sun was shining, a light breeze was blowing. On the beach we met quite a few sunbathers. But only a few dared to swim - the water here is very cold, especially in June.

But the climate on the Baltic coast is unpredictable and changes in minutes. Forty minutes passed, and the sky was overcast with gray clouds, the wind picked up, and the people from the beach quietly disappeared. For some time we walked along the fine white sand and admired the harsh waves of the Baltic Sea.

Change of weather on the Kursk Spit

Then we went to the road to the stop and took the bus to the "Dancing Forest". Trees were planted here in the 60s of the XX century to strengthen the Curonian Spit. For unknown reasons, the trunks began to bend and take on bizarre shapes as they grew. Now it's one of the attractions. natural park separated into a separate route.

In order to get back to Kaliningrad, we boarded a bus going through Zelenogradsk. The fare was around 50 rubles and did not take much time. Thus, the Curonian Spit can be easily reached not only by taxi, but also by public transport.

Bus number 593 runs from Kaliningrad to the village of Morskoye through Zelenogradsk. You can also get to Morskoy from Zelenogradsk by bus number 296. And to Zelenogradsk from Kaliningrad there is an electric train from North Station. We saw and international buses going along the Curonian Spit to Klaipeda in Lithuania. In general, you can get here quite inexpensively. In addition, you can hire a private guide with a car in one of travel agencies Kaliningrad and it will cost about the same amount as just a taxi ride.

Curonian Spit, of course, unique place striking in its beauty. This is one of natural wonders located on the territory of our country, which is definitely worth a visit if you come to the Kaliningrad region. Whether you spend one day here or spend your entire vacation here, you will get a lot of impressions and long sand dunes and quiet forest walks will be remembered for a long time.

Hotels and accommodation on the Curonian Spit (village Lesnoy): booking

Zelenogradsk hotels: reviews and booking

Hotels in Kaliningrad

Zelenogradsk- very beautiful resort town in the very western region Russia. My attentive friend, who invited me to stay with her in the Kaliningrad region, told me that the cities were named incorrectly. More like confused. Svetlogorsk is all green, and Zelenogradsk is bright. So since she had already shown me, I was convinced that the mighty and tall pines really make the city covered with greenery. And what about Zelenogradsk, the city at the entrance to the Curonian Spit?

Basic information:

So, I ended up in the Kaliningrad region in May. And after a couple of days of leisurely walks, I became interested in learning more about rest in Zelenogradsk on the sea. And we went there on our own.

How to get to Zelenogradsk and the Curonian Spit from Svetlogorsk

Actually it's quite simple task. So. to get to the Curonian Spit from Svetlogorsk, you need to go with a transfer, first by train, and then by bus. There is also an option to take a minibus, but it is more expensive.

Train Svetlogorsk - Zelenogradsk:

• In the city of Svetlogorsk, you need to take an electric train and get off in the city of Zelenogradsk.
• The ticket costs 38 rubles.
• Drive 40 minutes.

Bus Zelenogradsk - Morskoye:

• Not far from Zelenogradsk station, where I arrived from Svetlogorsk, buses depart in all directions.
• You need to take the bus that goes from the city of Zelenogradsk to Morskoye (No. 296 or No. 596) and get off at the Vysota Efa stop.
• The fare is 84 rubles.
• We asked the driver when last flight to Svetlogorsk, so by 17 o'clock we tried to see everything we wanted.

Minibus Curonian Spit - Zelenogradsk

But back from the Curonian Spit, I went to Svetlogorsk without transfers. Right from the stop where I went to the Curonian Spit, I stopped a minibus, and it brought me to Svetlogorsk-1 for 151 rubles. From there I transferred to the city bus 118 (15 rubles) and got to Svetlogorsk-2.

By the way, from the summer you can get from Kaliningrad to Zelenogradsk by bus number 593.

These are the options if you don't have your own car. Car owners still have to pay for entry to the territory of the Curonian Spit National Park, and passengers in public transport are not charged.

Zelenogradsk on the map

So, we got to the city of Zelenogradsk in a cheerful company and decided not to waste time and explore the city on bicycles - you can rent them there. And it’s convenient and cool, and you can see a lot, and we arrived with the son of my friends, who was also the easiest to distract with a change of scenery.

Near bus stop in Zelenogradsk, we found a bicycle rental point, chose the bikes that suited us (one with a child seat) and rushed through the city streets towards the promenade.

Bicycle rental cost us 70 rubles per hour. I was asked to leave my passport as a deposit.

Unlike Svetlogorsk, Zelenogradsk is not located so high. The city is flat, cycling is a real pleasure. Going to the sea is not a problem at all. And the ubiquitous German houses inherited from former city Kranz is also, of course, available. All former Catholic cathedrals traditionally stand intact, only Orthodox services are conducted there.

Personally, I found the city very nice, quiet and pleasant. It is really lighter than Svetlogorsk. Yes, it was a sunny day! I don't know if the fans here will be happy active rest, but for a leisurely rest, as well as for quiet life the city is very suitable.

At the bus stop, next to which bicycles are rented in Zelenogradsk, I got into a conversation with an elderly woman who was taking her cat to the dacha. And it turned out that people here are open, friendly and benevolent. This city is open and relaxed.

What did you see on the fly? See below on my photos from the city of Zelenogradsk.

Three-storey apartment building

Balcony with flowers

Narrow cozy street

The city park is also built on a dune

Gazebo in the park

Epic video about Zelenogradsk:

The Curonian Spit is included in the UNESCO list of natural monuments. And its length is almost 100 km, it starts at Zelenogradsk and goes straight to Lithuania, to Klaipeda. The spit is very narrow - from 400 meters to almost 4 km. Why is this nature reserve so unique?

The Curonian Spit National Park is famous for its biological diversity, which is studied by scientists. It is here that birds stop during migrations to Africa. So a narrow strip of dunes provides an opportunity to study not only the present, but also the past of the region, which is undoubtedly important for science.

Photos on the coast

Waves on the coast

sky and sea

Cones on the tree

Hiking route Efa Height

Ef's height is hiking route along the Curonian Spit, 2.8 km long. Climbing up to observation deck, you can look at the highest dune Orekhovaya, which has reached 64 meters! The route goes through the forest. Some viewpoints will allow you to see all the beauty of the Curonian Spit - you can see the sea, the Curonian Lagoon, dunes, a pretty forest.

The height of Efa is not the only route here. But if you are by car or bicycle, then you can walk everywhere. But since we arrived by bus, we walked back to the bus stop and waited for the last route of the day.

Trees rushed to the sky

Hiking trail in the pine forest

Path in the pine forest

The ascent to the height of Efa

View from the observation deck

Sand dunes and sea

Sandy shore

Here is such a rest on the Curonian Spit

The Curonian Spit National Park is a unique place, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Half of the Curonian Spit belongs to Russia and is located in the Kaliningrad region. We got acquainted with the natural attractions of the Curonian Spit on an excursion: dunes, an ornithological station, a dancing forest, the sea and smoked fish. Why is the thin strip of land between the Curonian Lagoon and by the Baltic Sea has such an attractive power? Organized and independent trip to the Curonian Spit.

is a sand embankment stretching for 98 km from Russian Zelenogradsk to the Lithuanian Klaipeda. Maximum Width Spit is 3.8 km, the minimum is 400 meters. From the west it is washed by the salty Baltic Sea, from the east - fresh water Curonian Lagoon. A narrow strip of land has a special landscape, microclimate, flora and fauna that are not found in other places on the planet. The easiest way to get to the Curonian Spit is from Russia (by land), since here it is connected to the mainland, the Lithuanian part of the spit and Klaipeda are separated by a strait.

Favorable time for a trip to the Curonian Spit is from May to October. Independent visit braids are not as popular as organized excursion due to transport accessibility: only residents of the Kaliningrad region drive their cars, public transport(buses) run at long intervals. The first time is always interesting to listen to the guide's story and drive along the entire route.

Curonian Spit with a guided tour

Bus tours to the Curonian Spit sent from all tourist centers Kaliningrad region: Zelenogradsk. The tour can be bought at travel agencies, sanatoriums, hotels, information centers or . The cost is about the same everywhere. There are 2 types of excursions: for half a day from 14:00, for the whole day with a rest at sea from 10:30. In the off-season (from November to April) the excursion program changes according to the weather and the opening hours of the visited objects. We went to the spit at the end of July, so we chose an excursion with a rest on the sea.

Individual excursion to the Curonian Spit has a number of advantages over group tours: only your company will be in the car or minivan, you set the time and place of meeting with the guide, adjust the route and duration of the tour.

Regardless of how and when you go, you should take windproof clothing, comfortable shoes, swimwear and towels (in season), water and sandwiches with you to the Curonian Spit.

Sights of the Curonian Spit

The natural sights of the Curonian Spit are not amazing, but they are unique. The tour route includes a visit to three sites:

(37 km). Pines with curved trunks grow in a coniferous forest near the village of Rybachy. There are many reasons for this phenomenon. different stories. We heard a version about defective seeds brought from Denmark. Walking route around" dancing forest» runs along a wooden deck. Due to the passion of tourists for photography, many trees have been damaged. Ordinary straight pines grow next to the "dancing" ones. At the beginning of the route there is an information board telling about the German gliding school. In total, during her work 1922-1945. it trained about 30,000 pilots.

Dune "Efa"(42 km). The walking route runs along sand dune near the village of Morskoe. WITH observation platforms you can see open and wooded areas of the dunes. Due to deforestation in the XVIII - XIX centuries. a catastrophe occurred on the spit - moving sands covered several villages along with the inhabitants. The strengthening of the dunes and the planting of forests stopped the movement of the sands. A significant contribution to the salvation of the Curonian Spit was made by the scientist Franz Efa, in honor of his high point dunes (55 m) was called the "Height of Efa". Muller's second height (44 m) is located at 32 km of the spit.

Ornithological station "Fringilla"(23 km). The migration routes of millions of migratory birds pass through the Curonian Spit, so in 1901 an ornithological station was founded here. The tour is led by scientists. Ornithologists talk about bird species, show traps, the process of ringing and registration. A real biology lesson open sky with questions for knowledge and care. Field hospital open only 7 months a year, from October to April the excursion to Fringilla is replaced by a visit museum complex national park (14 km).

Other interesting places and the routes of the Curonian Spit are marked with .

Be sure to buy freshly smoked fish before leaving. Perch, burbot, bream, eel are caught, smoked and sold right on the spit.

On the Curonian Spit on your own

To travel to the Curonian Spit, you can take a taxi or study the bus schedule. For entry into the territory of the national park, a fee (environmental fee) is taken - 150 rubles per person, children and pensioners have a 50% discount. There is only one road along the spit, there are problems with parking at the objects of inspection. Buses run from Kaliningrad (No. 593), Svetlogorsk (No. 596), Zelenogradsk (No. 210). The schedule is seasonal, 3-4 times a day.

Download for self inspection. mobile app National Park "Curonian Spit" (free, works offline).